As generative AI (Gen AI) and sensing technologies mature, AI glasses are evolving from standalone wearables into a new generation of human-computer interaction interfaces. Featuring first-person perspective, scene recognition, and hands-free operation, these devices are seen as an ideal extension of smartphones with the potential to disrupt mainstream mobile hardware design.
As the AI chip computing power race intensifies, data center electricity demand is surging, forcing a fundamental redesign of server power architectures. Taiwanese connector maker CviLux Corp is emerging as a key beneficiary of this transition, leveraging its board-level power connector expertise to ride the shift from traditional AC systems to high-voltage direct current (HVDC) designs in next-generation AI servers.
Alibaba is repositioning its Qwen artificial intelligence app as more than a chatbot, turning it into a gateway to the company's vast consumer ecosystem. The app now connects directly with core Alibaba services, including Taobao, Alipay, and Fliggy, enabling users to shop, make payments, and book travel all within one app.
Taiwan's HTC Corporation is rapidly expanding its AI glasses ecosystem following the debut of its first AI eyewear, Vive Eagle, as it scales distribution, deepens AI partnerships, and prepares for an AR-enabled next generation of smart glasses.
Nvidia Corporation's market value has surged to US$4.5 trillion amid the expansion of the AI industry, overtaking Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corporation, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reached a market capitalization of NT$46 trillion (US$1.45 trillion). Taiwan's information electronics sector is forecast to contribute over 6% to the nation's GDP by 2025, supported by strong chip manufacturing and AI server assembly.
As AI chip generations advance rapidly, power demands in data and compute centers are driving a fundamental shift in power supply design from single power supply units (PSUs) to system-level power racks. This shift entails highly modular, standardized power architectures, transforming power supplies into critical subsystems that ensure operational stability and efficiency.
Foxconn has established a joint venture, Henan Hongchuang Technology, in Zhengzhou, China, to enhance its manufacturing capabilities and supply chain resilience, with production set to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
Nvidia is expanding its data center business while advancing personal and edge AI computing platforms, outlining a product roadmap that spans the current N1 and N1X series through the next-generation N2 and N2X platforms.
China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has tightened export controls on dual-use items to Japan, underscoring the growing strategic role of rare earth elements amid complex geopolitical and resource considerations. Concurrently, two leading Chinese rare earth producers, China Northern Rare Earth High-Tech Group and Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union, announced a 2.4% price increase for rare earth concentrates in the first quarter of 2026, marking the sixth consecutive quarterly hike since the third quarter of 2024.
Elon Musk's xAI division has achieved a milestone by bringing online Colossus 2, the world's first gigawatt-scale artificial intelligence (AI) training cluster, a development praised by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang despite Musk's ongoing legal disputes with OpenAI. Announced on January 17 via Musk's X platform, Colossus 2 currently operates at 1GW with plans to reach 1.5GW by April 2026, marking a significant leap in AI compute capacity that surpasses the peak electricity usage of a major city like San Francisco.
PixVerse, a platform operated by Alibaba-backed Aishi Technology, has launched a real-time, interactive artificial intelligence (AI) video-generation tool that lets users control character actions during video creation. The new feature potentially enables novel business models by offering an unprecedented level of user engagement, according to reports from CNBC and Forbes.
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